Step I Freaking out - Post-Exam anyone?

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premedgeek

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I am seriously freaking out after finding out I got at least 10 (easy) questions wrong that I know of. Any tips on not thinking about the exam for while?

Anyone feeling similar?

How many percent correct do you need to get 230?
 
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premedgeek said:
lol, amen to that.

But still, am I the only one feeling like **** after the exam? I felt good while taking the exam but found out I got so many questions wrong.....
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Yes, you are in fact the only medical student in the United States that feels bad after taking the USMLE Step 1 exam. Sucks to be you.
 
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you might actually be the ONLY medical student in the history of step 1 to feel this way. I'd say virtually 100% of the people feel like rock stars after taking that cake of an exam.😀
 
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guys, thanks for encouraging words 🙄

more i think about the exam, more depressing it is......and I can't stop thinking about it. 😡
 
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OP, check out this thread:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=414283

It seems like most people feel like crap after the test, including me. I was able to count 15-20 easy questions I got wrong and tortured myself about, but guess what? I still got a great score, and it was the score that I was expecting based on my NBME predicted scores. Besides, you can't do anything about it at that point, so enjoy having finished what was most likely the hardest test of your life. I know its easier said than done but try to forget about the test--do something non-medical, don't look up any more answers, don't hang out with people who are still studying for the test (staying off this forum for a little while might be good), remember that there were a bunch of experimental questions that don't count, and if you want to try to predict your score just reference your NBME scores or any other score predicting things you did--rehashing what you remember from the exam won't help you predict your score and will just potentiate your obsessing over the exam. Good luck!
 
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ginger60 said:
OP, check out this thread:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=414283

It seems like most people feel like crap after the test, including me. I was able to count 15-20 easy questions I got wrong and tortured myself about, but guess what? I still got a great score, and it was the score that I was expecting based on my NBME predicted scores. Besides, you can't do anything about it at that point, so enjoy having finished what was most likely the hardest test of your life. I know its easier said than done but try to forget about the test--do something non-medical, don't look up any more answers, don't hang out with people who are still studying for the test (staying off this forum for a little while might be good), remember that there were a bunch of experimental questions that don't count, and if you want to try to predict your score just reference your NBME scores or any other score predicting things you did--rehashing what you remember from the exam won't help you predict your score and will just potentiate your obsessing over the exam. Good luck!
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imagine what your score would have been if you got those 15qs right! haha ok i'll stop.
 
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Well, i guess i'm in a better place b/c i can barely remember any questions from my test since my test had lots of long questions and were more conceptual than buzz-word kind of test. I normally don't remember my tests and i've never thought of the scores since i took them 2 weeks ago. I'm just having fun with third year, keeping my hands crossed and hoping for the best.
 
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Ok, not to sound like a punk, but I thought my test form was easier than the majority of my medical school exams. That might be because I only cram for most of my medical school exams at the last second. 😀

I felt like I missed anywhere from 5 to 15 questions on any section and up to 20 questions on section 3 (which ferociously abused me before my lunch). I am fairly confident I scored b/t 70-85% right overall (I'd estimate 80%). I have been looking up a lot of my questions that were marked and I seem to be doing OK, which covers me for dumb mistakes.

I think the way you "feel" after this exam depends a lot on what you expected to get. In my case, I wanted to pass (and hopefully get a 200-210+ to be more specific). I don't really want to do anything hyperspecialized beyond surgery or emergency med.

I really just wanted to walk out of that exam and still have the hope that I could still be a doctor someday... and I do. I think reading about the hyperoverachieving gunners on this site really made me uncomfortable and I think reading sdn makes us forget that passing this test only takes a cumulative percentage of 55-65% (quoting this year's kaplan qbook).

Don't forget that for every dumb mistake, comes a shot in the dark that is actually right. It'll even out.
 
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PugnaciousF said:
Ok, not to sound like a punk, but I thought my test form was easier than the majority of my medical school exams. That might be because I only cram for most of my medical school exams at the last second. 😀

I felt like I missed anywhere from 5 to 15 questions on any section and up to 20 questions on section 3 (which ferociously abused me before my lunch). I am fairly confident I scored b/t 70-85% right overall (I'd estimate 80%). I have been looking up a lot of my questions that were marked and I seem to be doing OK, which covers me for dumb mistakes.

I think the way you "feel" after this exam depends a lot on what you expected to get. In my case, I wanted to pass (and hopefully get a 200-210+ to be more specific). I don't really want to do anything hyperspecialized beyond surgery or emergency med.

I really just wanted to walk out of that exam and still have the hope that I could still be a doctor someday... and I do. I think reading about the hyperoverachieving gunners on this site really made me uncomfortable and I think reading sdn makes us forget that passing this test only takes a cumulative percentage of 55-65% (quoting this year's kaplan qbook).

Don't forget that for every dumb mistake, comes a shot in the dark that is actually right. It'll even out.



----------------
And to review

I was freaking out before the test due to my horrific NBME 3 = 186 (2 weeks ago). This was pre-rote memorization phase.
USMLE World (55% complete) = 48% cumulative -> though it was closer to 55-60% over the past 8 days (with a peak of 64 and 70%). Kaplan - ~400 questions - (60-70%). I felt like I studied a lot but I was going no where so I just started reviewing 1st aid like crazy during the last week.

Books - First Aid x 2 (+ flashcards of 1st aid pharm, HY facts in back + path), HY Neuro, Kaplan - biochem, behavioral, and micro, Goljan's path, 1/4 of BRS path, and BRS physiology.

BTW USMLEWorld should be sued for copyright infringiement. I wish I had finished 100% of their questions just to get a couple more verbatim questions correct.
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I feel that is my problem. I feel I didn't have success with questions I marked. Also, lot of times, I remember questions PARTIALLY so I keep thinking about if I missed something....I just want to forget about this until July 18th or whatever. I was hoping 240+ (NBME 2 = 660 = 250) but I will be EXTREMELY happy with 220+.

As as far as QBanks go, I did about 71% overall on USMLEWorld. I did Kaplan Qbank but I did it in tutor mode throughout the year.

It seems that under stress, I may have made lot of extremely stupid mistakes. Again, I don't know for sure cuz I only remember question PARTIALLY. God damn it 🙁
 
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premedgeek said:
I feel that is my problem. I feel I didn't have success with questions I marked. Also, lot of times, I remember questions PARTIALLY so I keep thinking about if I missed something....I just want to forget about this until July 18th or whatever. I was hoping 240+ (NBME 2 = 660 = 250) but I will be EXTREMELY happy with 220+.

As as far as QBanks go, I did about 71% overall on USMLEWorld. I did Kaplan Qbank but I did it in tutor mode throughout the year.

It seems that under stress, I may have made lot of extremely stupid mistakes. Again, I don't know for sure cuz I only remember question PARTIALLY. God damn it 🙁
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Hmmm I was full of sertraline and loperamide. Can't get any more antistressed than that. 😛

Just remember this is a bell curved exam and you can only tumble so far from the mean with a bad performance. Since you're on the "I'm the shizzle" part of the curve for your practice performances I can't envision you getting below a 220.
 
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I managed to avoid this problem by immediately completely wiping the exam from my memory. Honestly, I can't really remember any particular question in any reasonable detail that I would be able to look up if I got it right or wrong. Ignorance is bliss 😀 (until I get my score back... :scared:).
 
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